How elderly women picked mushrooms violating the law

The Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs continues its campaign Stop 193.1, pressing for the elimination of the disgraceful Article 193.1 from the Criminal Code of Belarus which envisages criminal punishment for activities on behalf of ‘unregistered organizations’. Recently a number of cartoons making fun of the absurdity of this article have been uploaded to the website of the organization.

Characters of the cartoons – elderly mushroom-pickers and students before having their exams – come in the sight of the law enforcement agencies as representatives of an unregistered organization while real criminals have registration certificates and continue their activities, the press-service of the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs informs.

Tens of Belarusian and foreign organizations have joined Stop 193.1 already. Among the actions planned within the frames of this campaign there are topical addresses to state organs and the prosecutor’s office and addresses of international organization to the Belarusian MPs.

‘The Stop 193.1 campaign was launched in later spring 2009’, said to Salidarnasts the head of the Executive Bureau of the Assembly of NGOs Aliona Valynets. ‘Our latest event was in Warsaw, during the OSCE conference on the human dimension. There we spoke about the history of this article and about the importance of this issue. Recently a briefing for Ambassadors has taken place in Minsk. Belarusian civil activists also sent numerous addresses to the Chamber of Representatives within the limits of this campaign and received usual runarounds… This campaign is meant to exercise pressure on the Belarusian authorities and show that the civil society is concerned with the existence of Article 193.1. The campaign organizers also think about continuing the series of the cartoons and are discussing the possible plots for them.

For instance, today we have received a dark cartoon on this topic. Soon we will upload a trailer that will explain to the public the meaning of Article 193.1and why it can concern any citizen of our country,’ said Aliona Valynets.